


Seven Minutes in an Eternity

by Slytherin_Princess_Nysa



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Best Friends, Closets, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gendrya - Freeform, Gift Exchange, Humor, Love, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, One True Pairing, Party Games, Season 8 who, Secret Crush, Seven Minutes In Heaven Game, Smut, Spin the Bottle, Summer, arya and gendry are the same age, arya x gendry - Freeform, gendrya endgame, gendrya gift exchange, they're high school seniors (18)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_Princess_Nysa/pseuds/Slytherin_Princess_Nysa
Summary: Arya Stark has kept her feelings for Gendry Baratheon a secret their entire life, but when she finally snaps and does something she can't take back, Gendry has to play catch up or risk losing her.They've been best friends their entire lives, they mean everything to each other. Until Arya wants them to mean more...Does Gendry feel the same for her? Who is the mystery girl he keeps telling her about? Will they figure out their feelings for each other before it's too late or will Arya walk away with a broken heart?
Relationships: Arianne Martell & Arya Stark, Arianne Martell & Daenerys Targaryen, Arya Stark & Daenerys Targaryen, Arya Stark & Gendry Waters, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Robb Stark/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 25
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohnoshefell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohnoshefell/gifts).



> HAPPY HOLIDAYS BABY ILY

Arya had a secret.

Well, not exactly a _secret_. Secrets were things people tried to hide, hers was more like deep seeded shame that burned hotter in the pit of her stomach every time she hung out with or talked about or looked in the vicinity of her best friend. Which was every day since they were four and Gendry had moved into the house next door. Now, fourteen years later, Arya didn’t know how much longer she could last.

Alright so maybe it _was_ a secret and the only two people that knew about it joined her pity party more often than not. And Arya was _fine_ with it, she was.

Arya stared out of her window waiting for Gendry to pull up into the driveway and tapping out a response to one of the texts Dany had sent her about the post-graduation party she was throwing, something about carrying a pack of gum on her.

**Arya:** _Why do I need gum?_

**Dany:** _People are nasty, how am I supposed to know what you’ll need it for_

**Arya:** _But you told me to bring it_

While she waited for a reply, Arya grabbed her credit card and popped it into the back of her phone case before pocketing it and heading downstairs. Gendry always ended up hungry in the middle of the night, especially after spending a whole party as her sober buddy, they usually sat in his car sharing a large fry and munching on burgers.

Marching down the stairs, Arya zipped up her jacket and touched the pack of unopened gum in her pocket. Arya had a feeling that she didn’t want to know why Dany needed mint gum in the middle of her own party.

She could see that Gendry was already pulled up to the front of her house and she turned to leave before something caught her eye. There was a backpack and jacket thrown over the back of one of the dining room chairs, ones she recognized as belonging to her big brother. She followed the sound of cabinets opening into the kitchen.

“Hey, what are you doing home?” Robb snapped his head up from where it was buried in their mothers snack cabinet, head hitting the wood as he turned on his heels sharply.

“Little sister!” He swept her up in his arms, swinging her about as she squealed and smacked her hands on his shoulders.

She had missed him. He had been away for too long and Arya mentally promised herself that tomorrow they would camp out in her room with sweets and movies. Just like when she had exams and he had still been living at home. Robb always had time for his baby sister and it always made her feel coddled and adored.

“Put me down, Robb! I have to leave!” her heels clicked onto the kitchen floor and Robb’s eyes dropped down to her feet. “Gendry’s waiting outside.” Arya righted her jacket, subconsciously preening.

“Are you- are you wearing _high heels_?” he bent down to his knees, lifting her foot and sending her falling into the counter. “Do you have a hot date, little sister?”

Yanking her foot out of his hands, Arya’s face scrunched up, “Please never say the words “hot date” ever again. It’s too weird coming from my brother. You’re supposed to threaten everyone who comes near me, not encourage me to get dressy and girly for boys.”

“Aha!” Robb stood, pointing an accusing finger in her face, grinning down at her. “So you admit there’s a boy involved!”

“No boys,” Arya reached up to kiss his cheek before turning towards the door. “Just Gendry and I going to Dany’s party.”

“Tell Gendry I said hello!” he called after her teasingly and Arya waved back, disappearing through the front door. She hated when her brothers teased her about Gendry, they didn’t know about her crush but they all _acted_ like they did. Especially Robb and Jon.

Gendry was drumming his fingers against the steering wheel when she climbed into the passenger's side. Gendry always kept his car unnaturally warm, it was like riding inside an over. She took her jacket off, tossing it over her shoulder into the backseat.

“You look nice,” he said distracted by reversing out of her driveway. Arya tried to pretend like her heart didn’t skip a beat at the thought of him noticing the dress Arianne had let her borrow. And she definitely wished she hadn’t felt her heart flop flat against her ribcage when she looked up to thank him, only to realize Gendry was just being nice and wasn’t even looking at her in the first place.

“Thanks, you look like an idiot.” Arya kicked up her feet onto the dash, silently cursing herself for acting like a silly schoolgirl with a crush on a cute boy.

Gendry laughed, heading towards Dany’s house. “Someone is cheeky tonight.”

“I figure that at least one of us has to have a sense of humour or this friendship would be as dry as your personality.” Gendry snorted Unlocking her phone, Arya scrolled through her texts, until she found her groupchat with Arianne and Dany.

**Arya:** _Did you take the good alcohol out of your parents basement for the party or buy the cheap liquor store stuff?_

**Dany:** _It’s a high school party, not an art gala for the mayor_

**Arianne:** _It’s from Harrenhal- cheap but gets you sloshed fasssst_

**Arya:** _good_

**Dany:** _you okay, babe?_

**Arianne:** _let me guess, a certain Mr Baratheon is getting on your nerves again_

**Arya:** _you know I hate it when you call Gendry that, you make it sound like he’s a cringey character in Fifty Shades_

**Dany:** _are you saying that like you disapprove of him being in softcore chickporn or him being in softcore chickporn_ without _you_

**Arya:** _that isn’t funny_

**Arianne:** _yeah, Dany, don’t just assume she wants softcore_

**Arya:** _I do genuinely hate you both_

**Arianne:** _sure you do_

**Dany:** _back to the topic- wtf did Gendry the Oblivious do now_

**Arya:** _he told me I looked nice_

**Arianne:** _??? that’s good tho_

**Arya:** _he wasn’t even looking at me_

Arya glanced at Gendry. He was humming along to the radio, bobbing his head to the rhythm and she expected him to burst into song at any minute. His sleeves were scrunched up to his elbows and Arya recognized the sweater as one she had gotten him. He looked good- tall and handsome and muscled and like everything Arya wanted.

“Why are you staring at me?” his eyebrows quirked and Arya was thankful for the dark road for hiding her blush.

“Not much else to look at, even if this view is subpar.” she teased.

“Subpar?” Gendry gapped. “I am _not_ subpar! I am a gift to your eyes.”

“Someone is full of themselves today,” Arya said. “Any particular reason?”

“Well,” he trailed off, glancing at her nervously for a moment before going back to staring at the road. “I have something special planned for a girl I like tonight.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach and the muscles clenched around it, cutting off the blood to her head and Arya felt lightheaded for a second. “Oh really? Anyone I know?”

“I think so,” his teeth chewed his lip and all Arya wanted was to climb into his lap and replace his teeth with hers. But she couldn’t do that, he was her best friend and he had a date tonight. While she would be throwing shots back on the kitchen counter, he talked some girl into going home with him. Which she would, unless she was an idiot.

**Arya:** _can I sleep over tonight?_

**Dany:** _my house is your house_

**Arianne:** _what did he do now?_

**Arya:** _Gendry said he has a date tonight so… you know, I’m guessing I’ll be drunk and without a ride pretty soon_

**Arianne:** _HE HAS A DATE?!_

**Dany:** _HOW DARE HE WHEN HE HAS NO IDEA YOU’RE INTERESTED IN HIM?_

**Arya:** _you know, you get less charming the longer I know you_

**Dany:** _we both know that’s a lie but seriously babe, you have to tell him that you like him_

**Arianne:** _I’m with Dany on this one, you can’t expect him to stay single when he doesn’t know about your feelings for him because you’re a chickenshit and won’t tell him_

**Arya:** _I’m really feeling the love_

**Dany:** _you’d be feeling a lot more love if you told Gendry_

**Arianne:** _the type of love that isn’t pajama movie nights with us or fries and milkshakes with Gendry… think less clothes_

**Dany:** _and maybe the milkshakes if you’re a freak like that_

**Arya:** _we just pulled up, meet me in the kitchen_

Arya jumped out of the car, closing the door quickly and turning towards the house. She felt Gendry’s hand wrap around her arm and turn her gently. He was looking down at her, a look of almost _hurt_ on his face and she wracked her mind trying to think of what she could have done to hurt his feelings from her house to Dany’s.

“Arya,” He started, hand slipping from her arm and Arya missed the warmth of his hand immediately. “Are you okay? You’re in a hurry.”

She paused, shifting her feet, “Oh, I’m meeting Ari and Dany for shots in the kitchens. I thought you’d want some alone time to find your date in there.”

Gendry scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly smiling at her. “She isn’t inside yet. And she actually isn’t my date yet. I’m planning on asking her out tonight and she’ll _hopefully_ be my girlfriend by the end of the night.”

“You really like her, huh?”

“She’s-” he grinned widely, blue eyes lit up as he talked about her. “She’s amazing. Funny, smart, determined, and absolutely beautiful. She gets this adorable crinkle in her forehead when she gets frustrated and she has these wonderfully expressive eyes.”

Arya felt like she was about to swallow her tongue. He sounded so _happy_ to just be talking about her, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like when the lucky girl said yes. Gendry would probably explode with happiness.

“Well,” she gulped down the quiver in her voice. It was ridiculous really, she had been crushing on Gendry for years and yet here she was, like every other time he was around another girl, acting like a total idiot. “I’ll just let you go then.”

And she knew she meant it for more than just tonight.

“Wait, Arya!”

“Good luck!” she called behind her, weaving between the drunk teenagers on the lawn. There was a group bouncing to the loud music in the living room and Arya noted Gendry’s younger siblings standing with Margaery in the hall.

Was Margaery the girl Gendry was interested in?

Arya couldn’t blame him. Margaery was uniquely beautiful. She was all long legs, pretty hair and soft curves. Margaery was involved in the community and the student council. She was everything Arya wasn’t. Arya was short and chopped her hair to her chin every few months, she had no curves to speak of and was barely above the image of a boy.

Arya ducked into the kitchen. Dany was sitting on the counter saying something quietly to Arianne. They were passing a red solo cup between them.

Ari spotted Arya coming in and pulled away with a smile towards her, “Hey, you, what’s with the long face?”

Grabbing the first bottle she could find on the counter, Arya uncorked it and poured herself a generous amount into a cup. “Gendry is asking Margaery Tyrell out.”

“What? I can’t believe that.” Dany gasped.

Arianne glanced at Dany and back to Arya, watching her throw back the cup and drain it. “Did he tell you that? Like, did he say Margaery was the girl he liked? By name?”

Arya frowned, “Well, no. But he said,” her voice dropped, trying to imitate him. “I’m planning on asking her out tonight blah blah blah. And I come in and Margaery is standing there with Tommen and Myrcella and- god I’m so stupid.”

“You aren’t stupid.”

“Yeah, I think I am,” Arya dropped to the floor next to Dany’s legs. “I mean I had hope for us. Gendry and I.” she laughed, covering her face with her hands and pulling her legs to her chest. “I actually thought that one day he would wake up and realize I had been right there, being stupid and smitten with him, all along.”

Someone stumbled into the kitchen, tie knotted around their head and without shoes on. Arya could have sworn Ned had more self control. “Hey girls.”

“Get out, Dayne!” Dany threw an empty cup at him and Arianne joined Arya in yelling until he stumbled out. They exchanged an amused look and Arya burst into laughter, closely followed by Dany and Arianne.

Arianne sat next to her, prying her hands away from her face. “Arya Stark, you are _not_ stupid. You have been in love,” Arya opened her mouth to argue, Arianne squeezed her hands. “In love with Gendry Baratheon since you were a little girl. If you _didn’t_ have hopes for him to be your happily ever after, I would be worried.”

“And yet here I am, sitting on the floor with you two and a bottle of,” she looked at the label of the bottle Dany held down. “Cheap gin.”

“You know what?” the back of her head hit the cabinet as Arya looked up at Dany. “You are fucking right. No more letting you be a depressed lovesick puppy- we are going out there and we are having a good time.”

“You’re right.” Arya shot up, dusting her ass and blinking back the brief dizziness. “Let’s make him eat his heart out.”

Arianne and Dany traded a look Arya knew meant nothing good.

Dany hopped down from the counter and pulled Arya by the hand towards the dancing bodies in the living room. Arianne waved them away and Arya saw her pulling out her phone as the two of them disappeared around the corner.

The lights were turned down and Arya grabbed Dany’s hands, yanking her to the centre of the floor. Laughing, she threw her head back and moved her hips to the beat of the song. The room blurred and Arya felt a pair of arms wrapping around her. But she wasn’t worried, his scent wrapped around her and Arya felt safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a oneshot but I love Ro too much and want to give her a bigger gift so I'm extending this to five chapters...yeet.

Gendry held her closely and Arya sighed as she melted against him. It wasn’t strange for them to be like this. Gendry didn’t like touching many people, he didn’t even _like_ many people to begin with, but he was always sweet with her. It made her feel special, like her feelings wouldn’t be a secret forever. He would throw his arm casually over her shoulder or hug her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head. Arya loved the warmth from his chest when he did that.

They swayed to the music and Arya tugged his arms tighter around her, tapping her fingers against his arms as he chuckled into her ear. “Hey, you wanna get some air?”

She nodded against his chest, letting him lead her out off the dancefloor and onto the patio. Arya relaxed against the banister, picking at the wood under her fingertips. She heard the door shut and she shivered from the cool breeze hitting her skin. Gendry’s arms wrapped around her and Arya felt him like a shield against the chill.

“What’s wrong, Arya?” he asked, warm breath against her shoulder.

Biting her lip, Arya burrowed deeper into his chest. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“I’ve known you our entire lives,” he says, arms squeezing her lightly. “And with that comes the knowledge that you are currently full of shit.”

“I don’t like the imagine of you and Margaery,” she whispered.

Maybe it was the feeling of having him wrapped around him, or knowing that university was coming up for both of them and they would be hours away from each other. Or maybe she finally wanted him to know that he wasn’t just her best friend, he was something else, something more. Gendry was _hers_.

“Do you want to explain that a little more?”

“I don’t like the way it makes me feel thinking of you and her together. I know you like her and I would never want you to give up someone that makes you happy, especially not for me, but I don’t want to lie to you about how it makes me feel.” she rushed out.

“Arya-“

“It’s not just that I don’t like it. I hate it! The idea of you two together makes my skin crawl.” her eyes squeezed shut and she took a deep breath trying to calm herself, but when she opened her eyes, she found that her heart still felt like it was sinking through her chest.

Gendry pulled away and Arya turned to face him, “You think- Margaery?”

“Margaery, you know, the girl you were going to ask out tonight?” she huffed, crossing her arms protectively over her chest and wondering why she had decided to start this conversation in the first place and if it was possible to force her heart up from her toes. “Contrary to what I thought an hour ago, I’m not stupid.”

“Wait, an hour ago?” he shook his head, reaching up to grip her arms. “Nevermind. You think I want to ask out Margaery Tyrell?”

Arya shifted uncomfortably, “Yes!” she snapped. “Margaery fucking Tyrell! Our gorgeous vice president that ‘has wonderfully expressive eyes’ talking to your sister next to the beer pong table. You know, the girl everyone wants to go out with. Including you apparently, thanks for letting me know at the very last possible second.”

“Are you jealous?” a grin crawled up his face and Arya felt her cheeks burning.

Her eyes slid past him and landed on Margaery and Myrcella, still standing by the table and laughing at whatever drunk Ned was trying to do on the dancefloor. She looked pretty even in the middle of the high school idiots around her. “So what if I am?”

Gendry stepped closer, blocking out the rest of the world with his wide shoulders and Arya blinked up at him. “Are you jealous, Stark?” he asked seriously.

She felt her lip quiver and Gendry’s eyes dropped to her mouth. Arya’s heart skipped a beat and her tongue swiped at her lip. He ducked his head, forehead briefly touching hers and his breath mingling with hers before he pulled away.

It would be easy for Arya to turn away from the blushing boy in front of her, give them both time to collect their thoughts and go back to pretending like all they are to each other is just friends. Like last time, she would be expected to pretend like she didn’t know what his lips felt like pressed against hers, forget the touch of his nervous hands against her hips and act like she didn’t think about kissing him again.

But looking at Gendry now, Arya flashed back to when they were fourteen and just as anxious for their first kiss and she knew there was no way she would be walking away with her heart intact if she didn’t kiss him. Not when Gendry had held a piece of her heart for as long as she could remember.

Slowly she reached up her hands, ignoring the slight tremors in her fingers as she grazed his jaw. Gendry’s eyes snapped up from his shoes and then Arya was diving headfirst into the prettiest blue she had ever seen.

Pushing up to her toes, she leaned into Gendry, enjoying the way his breathing hitched at her touch. Carefully his hands landed on her hips and she smiled gently, thumbs moving against his cheeks. The stubble scratched against her fingertips. “Arya?”

His breath warmed her chin and her nose brushed against hers. He smelled wonderfully, intoxication, like home. Indigo and firewood - a strange combination that only Gendry had. Arya’s lips parted and her fingers dug into his hair at the base of his neck.

Distantly, Arya wondered if this would be the kiss that finally broke whatever romantic stalemate held them apart for years or would it strengthen the invisible wall between them and finally drive her to insanity waiting for him to catch up. “Kiss me.”

His fingers tightened on her waist and pulled her closer. “Would it kill you to say please?” he chuckled almost against her mouth.

Almost, almost, almost. But not close enough.

“Why take that risk?” she breathed, finally losing what was left of her patience and closing the mere inches between their lips.

It was like electricity danced on her lips. It was a simple kiss, nothing that would set world shattering records, but to Arya it was the best kiss she’d ever gotten. Not that she had a library of references for kissing - two with Ned Dayne and now two with Gendry. But this one was genuine and soft, sweet. Entirely her Gendry.

Their mouths moved in tandem, his slightly chapped lips were warm and his rough hands held her to his chest tightly. Arya wrapped her arms around his neck, toes scraping the wooden deck beneath her feet. Arya wished she had been born taller so she could be closer to him. Arya pulled away from the kiss, her teeth nibbling on his bottom lip until his lips parted. His tongue swept inside, tangling with hers and fighting for dominance.

A small moan escaped from her throat at his taste. Beer and peppermint gum.

Like the pack she had left in her jacket pocket in the backseat of his car.

The sweetness faded, leaving only teeth and tongue.

Gendry dropped his hands and bent his knees. Before Arya knew what was happening, she was swept off her feet and her ass met the guardrail. She hissed at the feeling of metal against her bare thighs and Gendry pulled away from her, eyes looking nervously between hers.

“Did I do something wrong? Am I going to fast? Do you regret it? Should we-” Arya placed her fingers over his bruised lips and smiled at the blush bleeding over his face. Gendry’s hand reached up and held her hand, kissing the tips of her fingers.

“No, you idiot. The rail is cold.” she rolled her eyes.

He grinned sheepishly, “oh. So…”

“So…” she swallowed back the want to ask him if it meant to him what it did to her. If he felt the same way she did. It was ridiculous, Arya wasn’t a self conscious person, but around Gendry she couldn’t help it.

“We just did…that.” Gendry’s eyes dropped down. For a moment Arya thought he would pull away from the cradle of her thighs, push her away and walk back inside. But he smiled gingerly and lifted his eyes back to hers.

“Any regrets?” her hands brushed up his arms, enjoying the feeling of muscle under his sweater. Gendry leaned into her, relaxing into the touch.

Instead of answering her, Gendry pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Gendry buried his face in her shoulder, breathing her in deeply. “I don’t regret it.”

Her arms tightened around him, grinning as her forehead fell forward. It didn’t feel sexual, being held by him like this. Not that she wouldn’t be willing to jump his bones, but it wasn’t _all_ she wanted to do. It was like the outside world didn’t exist, nothing existed outside the circle of his arms. It felt like safety and love and like she would only be able to breathe like this.

“I don’t either. But Gendry,” she pulled away slightly, brushing the little frown off his lips. “What does this mean for us? You’re my best friend and I think I’ve made it pretty obvious that I don’t like you as _just_ my best friend. I care about you the way,” she blushed and looked down, trying to avoid his gaze. “I _love_ you in the way-”

He peaked her lips, stopping her words. Arya’s brow furrowed and she opened her mouth to try again, Gendry surged forward and pressed his lips to hers again. She giggled when he looked at her expectantly.

“Can I please finish what I was saying before you sneak attacked me?”

“I know what you want to say and I don’t want you to say it.” Gendry said. “Not yet. Because I want to ask you something and if you tell me you,” his voice dropped. “You know. I won’t be able to ask you.”

“Why won’t you be able to ask me if I finish saying it?”

“Because I’m pretty sure my brain will short circuit after you do.” Arya could feel her heart beating furiously against her chest and she wondered if Gendry could feel it.

Arya shrugged, wanting nothing more than to kiss him again after he asks whatever he wants. Honestly, she would answer anything he asked just to bring that wonderful spark in his eye when he smiled at her like he wanted to kiss her. “So ask me.”

“Arya do you want to-” he sighed. “I mean, if you think it’s okay to cross that boundary between us…” Gendry cringed. “Do you remember our first kiss?”

She blinked, slightly confused about where this was going. “Yeah, we were fourteen and I couldn’t stop my hands from sweating.”

“Your hands,” he pressed gently kisses to her knuckles. “Were nothing compared to the stuttering and word vomit that came out of my mind that entire night.”

Of course she remembered that. “I thought it was cute.”

“Well, fourteen year old Gendry didn’t want you to think it was  _ cute _ .” Gendry stressed the word. “He had a crush on you and didn’t want you to think of him like a puppy.”

“The third person and past tense is worrying,” she tried to joke. She didn’t like Gendry looking so dejected. “You had a crush on me?”

“Still have, but it doesn’t feel like a crush anymore.” his fingers touched her cheek and Arya leaned into his touch, relishing it. “I wanted to ask you if you would want to go out with me? As more than friends, I mean? Like, boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Are those all questions?”

He swallowed and her eyes followed the movement of his Adam’s apple. “I want to go out with you as boyfriend and girlfriend.” Gendry hugged her tightly, face buried back in her shoulder. “If that’s something you want?”

“What about Margaery?” he snorted against her shoulder and Arya hit his shoulder. “Don’t laugh! I thought you liked her.”

“I think Margaery is a great friend but she’s not the girl that I can’t get off my mind.” he nuzzled her and Arya wondered what anyone who saw them like this would think. Gendry wasn’t a soft or touchy person by nature, he was rough and strong and stubborn. But right now he was nothing but warmth and sweetness.

“I’d love to go out with you,” and Gendry pulled away with the brightest smile she could remember ever seeing, “On one condition.”

He affectionately shook his head. “I should have known you’d have a condition.”

“We’re best friends first, boyfriend and girlfriend second.” Gendry readily nodded.


End file.
